To ask what you’re missing about Christmas this year?

[TrialOfStyle]

I’ve really missed going into the city, seeing the lights, the Christmas market, grabbing a spot next to a space heater drinking mulled wine - and being with friends.

What about you?

Christmas market.
Casually popping out to the shops and having a hot chocolate.
Days out with my DC that aren’t outdoors. We’ve been on a few Christmas walks but I miss our annual cinema trip and snowboarding at the local ski slope too.

Seeing my family.

Missing a day out at a christmas market with mulled wine. Also missing a santa visit with my daughters and I'm a bit sad not to be seeing MIL

Not missing the rest of the socialising at all

Family. I have a very large family (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, great grandparents) and we usually see everyone at some point in December. Lots of get togethers, drinks, chat, games and food.

This year we have seen my parents, my grandparents through a window and my cousins and aunts via Zoom. Pretty rubbish to be honest.

Going to the church at the top of our road with DD and local friends to watch the crib service. I'm not even Christian but it's the most wonderful service, I love singing carols and DD (she's just three) has an outfit/tea towel on each time. The vicar is just the dog's bollocks and makes it so warm and inclusive. Then a walk down with friends for a chat while we admire all the trees and decorations the neighbours have put up. It's such a small thing but I hope I remember this time and appreciate it when it's back on (next year?).

Seeing friends and doing activities like ice skaing, carol concerts, museums.

I’m actually relieved I don’t need to see family this year so that’s a plus. ExP and I are just having Xmas here this year so it saves the problem of trying to fairly share DS over different families.

My mum :(

The city lights, the Christmas markets, the Christmas parties and gatherings, seeing family and friends...everything, really.

I usually do a lot more baking but with no parties to go to, it'll only add to the lockdown weight, so I'm not bothering.

Fuck you, 2020.

I’m missing all the pre Christmas gatherings...we usually host a Christmas party and have loads of friends round. The spontaneous trips to the village pub when everyone is in good spirits and the children mingle with their friends at the same time.

I’m particularly missing carol services.

One of the (adult) DC, who isn't able to come home (Tier 4).

All the various get-togethers and parties with friends and family.

The Christmas spirit - I keep trying to raise it but it's just not appearing. I've tried making a wreath, drinking mulled wine, wrapping presents and putting up the the tree, but no joy so far.

Days/nights out

We'd normally take our DC's to see Santa somewhere nice and I usually have an afternoon/evening out at Winter Wonderland with my friends drink a lot of mulled wine and eat bratwurst and stay overnight. Miss that!

I know what you mean about the Christmas spirit. It’s just so ‘meh’. I ended up only putting the tree up and putting everything else away because I couldn’t get into the mood.

I’m trying the Xmas music today. It’s the first time I’ve listened to any Xmas songs this year (no playing in the office, no visits to shops, etc).

@pastaislife I’m sorry

Not much
The usual stuff I do is lovely but expensive and usually boozy
I need to save up for 2021

Christmas markets
our family trip to Beamish. the whole family meet up there and the cousins have a day together. My mum sends me stotties and minced beef pies to bring back for Christmas eve tea.
Going for a hot chocolate with my daughter.
Panto
Boxing day tea with the whole family, a huge noisy get together including my elderly aunts.
Christmas eve drinks with friends.
Going shopping for our new tree bauble and DD choosing the most off the wall gifts for family.
Christingle mass at my friends church.
Christmas night out with friends

DD is 10 so this is the last year we will do our more childish things. We've missed saying goodbye to old traditions.

Socialising - not that we're massive party animals, but just the occasional Christmas drink in a local pub is lovely, or having close friends over for a glass of champagne whilst our kids open gifts.

Just being able to have someone else in the house for a quick chat would be lovely!

On the plus side - it will be nice not to host a big gathering on Christmas Day (sorry if that sounds awful). We usually host lunch for between 12-15 people, and could never say that actually we'd like Christmas Day on our own, as we would feel too guilty not to host. Hosting is lovely but exhausting and stressful too. So in a strange way this has bought us a year off. I'm sad on the one hand, but a million times more relaxed than usual on the other...

@pastaislife

Not so much missed , the Bath Christmas Market was fortunately cancelled, so the affectionately know '50 sheds of shit' didn't clutter the streets.

Our New Year trip away. Iceland, Copenhagen, Seville in recent years. Not happening this year.
Can take or leave Christmas anyway.

A competent government.

I'm missing the Christmas build up, Christmas starts on 1st December for me and ends with Christmas Day.

I'm missing catching up with friends for drinks and meals, Christmas visits into town to see the lights, markets and have a meal out. Christmas days out to see Santa, Christmas performances and light turn ons. All our Christmas tradition for my immediate family and friends haven't this year. Having a pre Christmas extended family get together.

I miss crowds and crowds of people talking too loud and drinking too much. I miss sitting around in other people's kitchens talking about other Christmases. I miss the Swedish Carol concert we usually go to, the ballet, the traditional walks with people who are only in the same place at Christmas. I even miss the parking carnage at Dunnes Cornelscourt ☹️.

Oh well, next year!

My flight out of the country to get away from it all.

Early December seeing friends for Christmas market and mulled wine
A proper (not drive through!) Santa and days out.
Christmas Eve Christingle and drinks with friends
Family Christmas Day.